Pirate Ship
by 2DaughtersOfAthena
Summary: Maximum Ride is a stowaway from her island of hell where she is nobody but a joke. She has been planning to get away from her home and eventually her time comes when the known Pirate Ship, Poseidon's Knave, sets up at the port. Max boards and meets new people, new decisions and new adventures. Fax? YEAH THERE IS!


**DUN DUN DUN! This is the FAX story you might or might not have heard of on the profile! HERE IT IS! The first true Fax story with all the FAXYNESS you Maximum Ride fans will deserve!**

**I'm not sure what else to say...I haven't seen a story like this before, so had this crazy idea about a pirate ship. If you hate it, I won't blame you. Also, i****f you have any suggestions for things to happen in the story, feel free to share them and any comments are welcomed. In the time being, ENJOY!**

**Warning: It could be a little slow at first**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Maximum Ride *sad face* I OWN THIS PLOT!**

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_I remember the time I escaped. The day I met all of them. The day I met him._

* * *

**_Max_**

I run around the corner, sprinting and laughing, feeling slightly out of breath with my plans, the two men hot on my heels. They have no chance of catching me now, yet I still hear their shouts and pounding footsteps. Not gonna happen.

I take a sharp left and skid to a stop, looking round at the two burly men who widen their eyes at my pausing and race to catch up with me. I only smirk and run off again, balls of my feet bouncing on the cobbled streets. Confused street-workers hurry to get out of the way of our little trio, scattering fruits and various foods of the country over the route, crushed under my feet.

There is a wall that will lead closer to my destination. I can take a shorter way through the gardens.

I leap onto a nearby stall filled with tiny model ships and propel myself at the wall behind it, grabbing a hold of the top of it, grazing my fingers with the harsh stone. My hands pull me up onto the wall where I grin down at the men in blue uniform, running after me. I wave goodbye and jump over the wall, my body slamming onto the cobbles below, earning some serious bruising. I can cope with that.

Some strange woman comes rushing out into her garden, dithering and worrying over me. She tries to calm me and looks down at my scruffy clothes; a pair of worn trousers made of brown cotton and a cream blouse shirt. She offers me a dress to wear, probably some kind of frilly pink thing all the women are wearing, but I decline, not much into fashion. I rush past her, feeling a little bad, out of the front door onto the back road, running once again, over the dirty streets, the lack of shoes beginning to be a wrong choice.

One final corner and I see it.

_Poseidon's Knave. _

The ship pulled into the port, one of the crew unraveling the rope from the port and climbing back on board the moving ship. This is when I really start to run toward my safety. Sure it might be the cause of death from either drowning, starvation or some kind of disease, but this ship is rumored to be the most feared pirate ship there is. Well, among the runaway urchins like me. Among the more respectable men and women, it is just a loading ship, taking food and goods overseas. They even dress the part.

Stones cut into my feet and I jump onto the wooden pier a meter jump from the boat, splinters springing up too. It seems everything wants to stop me boarding this ship. I could say it isn't the cleverest thing I've ever done. But then again, staying isn't the best thing to do. Just then, I hear a voice, calling out my name. Great, so those men are back. Guess this might not be my great escape. Back to the dungeons I go. Well, yay for me.

Only one shot left.

I jump for the final time, the ship only feet away. Wood smashes into me and I roll along the floor of the ship, finally away from home. I roll onto my feet and stand up again, waving to the two men, out of breath and yelling curses at me, the space of blue sea growing quickly as we moved away from the holding bay, finally free.

The deck was filled with a crew of working men and I went unnoticed. Luck is on my side today then.

To my right, there is an open door, exiting the deck. Trying not to be noticed, I run across the deck and into the room, darkened with drawn curtains over few windows. There is a set of stairs, which I follow to below deck. There are no windows here and I settle down, almost waiting to be discovered as a stowaway, not that these pirates would not have had any yet.

I think back to my home on land on the small island and what it used to be. I'm so glad this ship was here today.

So, after all that running around, I suppose I should introduce myself.

My name is Maximum Ride - my mother thought I was a boy before she sent me out to work, which I have been trying to get away from for just about my entire life. Yes, I am a girl. Today was my day that I finally got free. They realized I was not a boy, but didn't change the name on the papers. They were the only thing of my mother I have and I stole them. Plus, I didn't want to change my name. It's been my name for seventeen years. Yup, I am seventeen years old.

You think your lives are hell? I have been working with engines for all my life. The house brought me up until I was six, which was when I started work. But only small things, like carrying things. In those places, they build your strength over time. It starts light then you get quicker and they give you heavier stuff. It changes all the time. Next year was going to be the first time I got free.

In all the time of a year before you get set free, you are taught how to be ladies and gentlemen. So, how to act _proper. _I just felt like a change of scenery and to break from the mold, being sick of all the lessons of how to be a lady. It got boring and I gave up.

And now I have nothing left to say.

The door creaks open and a hand reaches out into my hole, cutting the light like a knife of shadows. I scramble away from the reaching fingertips, cowering in the remaining darkness. The hand pushes open the door further and the owner huffs on the other side and enters, causing yet more shadows over the light, flooding over my hiding space, threatening to show me in the corner of the room. If you can even call it that.

A tall figure steps inside, moving his hand around now, flickering light here and there, showing parts of my skin and clothes. His hand moves close to my face and, before I know it, smacks me hard across the face. I squeak in surprise and the hand stops moving, cautious of my sound. I clap a had over my mouth and stay as still as possible, which is not very still when you are shaking with fear of being discovered. Especially from what I've heard, I could be thrown into the sea.

The door opens fully and the figure steps further into the room, the light surpassing him and hitting every inch of my body, cowering away from the brightness after darkness and the idea of being found. The stranger grabs me by the scruff of my neck and pulls me roughly to my feet, shoving my ahead of him, up the stairs to the deck and the waiting crew. I trip slightly in my walk to probable death and glance around, but the man who grabbed me is turned away when I look at him.

We reach the top of the deck and he throws me hard at the ground and I stumble, throwing out my hands to stop my face hitting the dark wood and pummeling me.

The deck is silent as I stand up, sun glaring into my vision, the crew away from their work, standing up straight and staring at the mystery man and me. The white sails billow around in the slight breeze that also whips the hair in and out of my face, splitting my sight occasionally.

"How did he get on the ship?" asks a friendly, yet harsh voice, coming from a tall strawberry blonde haired boy, standing by the wheel at the bow of ship, wheel still in hand to steady. Just so you know, I stand on the starboard of the ship. **[A/N: The bow is on her right]****  
**

I glance around the rest of the deck, seeing the layout for the first time, almost. The first time I came onto the boat, I was a little preoccupied with not being seen and finding somewhere safe to stay for the journey. There is a crew strong to five of what I can see, including the dark boy who dragged me up the stairs. On either side of the deck are two tall masts, stretching white sails over more masts protruding from the center of them.

The man behind me does not respond, a new, suggestive, voice calls from the mast on the left, a thick rope clutched in his hands, the shock of blonde hair flying under his floppy cotton hat.

"A stowaway!" he shouts, trying to beat the whistling wind. "What do we do with him?"

"I am a _girl__!" _I yell, fists clenching in and out again, my anger rising with the stereotypical pirates.

No women. Ever. That is so sexist.

"A girl?" comes a new voice to my left, up on the higher part of the deck, a few feet from the shorter blonde boy. It's a sweet and excited voice that, honestly, cannot be a man's. So...that means...there is another girl on this ship. "Let her stay, please Fang? Iggy? We could talk and dress and cook and do everything. You never let me have friends on this ship. Well, I know I have Ella but another friend is good, right? You guys are all friends!"

Wow. She said that all in under ten seconds. I didn't even know that was possible.

The girl steps out from her hiding place, dressed in a long blue coat, showing off her shining mocha skin with an electric blue hat that covers her crazy curly hair springing in wisps out of the neat bun, also paired with a pair of brown heeled shoes, clacking on the wood floor.

I turn to the strawberry blonde boy, the one seemingly deciding my fate. He looks somewhere over my head, giving a curt nod before mouthing 'sorry' to me. I think it was to me anyway. Our eyes met, his blue, mine brown. Why would he be sorry? I look back at the dark skinned girl and see her grinning mischievously and I almost run away, just from that look in her eyes. What is she going to do to me?

A hand shoved me hard in the back, pushing me, stumbling, toward the girl and the steps leading up to her. I cross my arms firmly over my chest and turn around, glaring, not thinking about what would meet my eyes. Or who.

The tall person who found me is staring right back at me with cold dark eyes, almost black in the shadow of his black floppy hat and the curled black hair falling over his eyes and parts of his olive skin.

I could easily compare him to some kind of God.

_Shut up! Don't start sounding like those girls back at the school!_

That voice in my head is right, as usual. I sometimes don't listen, just for fun to see what goes wrong. I never doubt that voice very often, based on last experiences. One bad one consisting of a pot of blue paint, some vengeful boys and a very creepy tutor who was just patronizing sometimes. Let's just say, the teacher got what she deserved and I got several beatings after the end result had been posted in all the local papers.

I ignore my teenage hormones and glare back at him, brushing myself down lightly, hands slight calloused on the rough material of my trousers. I tuck a loose hair around my ear, scowl at him and stalk off to join the crazy lady who talks to much, beckoning me with her white gloved hands. At least I have a reason to stay on the boat. The girl who is now my _friend_. And the silent man. The silent _annoying_ man. Or is he a boy?

The girl clasps my hand in a firm grip and drags me along with her as I struggle to catch up with her. She grins widely and says,

"I'm Nudge, what's your name? We are going to be such good friends! Best friends! And Ella!"

She leads me back down the stairs to a place just to the left of the large mast, where a dark red door is, leading somewhere mysterious. Or not. It could be storage cupboard where she plans to brutally murder me. Don't take bets, we shouldn't judge. Girls can be vicious too, I would know.

Nudge holds the door open for me and I utter a thanks as we begin to walk down the barely lit corridors. Along the wood walls are several bright paintings, obviously trying to bring light into the place, but it doesn't really work with the whole pirate theme or whatever. Next to some of the paintings are small lanterns with worn candlesticks, wax dribbling down the melted sides and into the metal can holding them to the walls. On the other side are doors, endless amounts, no doubt storing food, water and probably some sort of ammunition. Like gun power. I don't think I should go near there, just to be on the safer side.

"My name's Max," I say, my lips just pressing into some sort of a smile. I smile often, just not in front of complete strangers. Back in the school houses at the work, you could say I was the joker of the class. I made fun of the things we wore and things like that. I basically mocked the entire female population of the workplace. I _had_ to get out.

"Cool to meet you, Max. So how did you get on the ship? No one ever gets on. We hardly ever get stowaways. You must be pretty unique and very fast to get on a moving ship! How did you get on without any of us seeing you?"

"You can do a lot of things when you're running away from something," I say. I know, I'm _so_ wise, but don't say you don't agree with me. It's the whole adrenaline rush thing, or like it, at least. Some say that, when you have a high adrenaline or an adrenaline rush, you can anything. Even move incredibly things and take a shot over once without dying. I don't have a scientific reason for it, so don't bug for one.

"What were you running from?"

"People who don't like the real me, I suppose," I mumble, really smiling at her now, almost trusting her. That could never happen, though. Even if we are going to be friends, I don't think I should trust a pirate.

After what seems like hours but probably is only a matter of minutes, we stop at the final door. It has a large 'N' painted in black on the front of it and a thin pink ribbon draped over the frame of the door. Great, a girly-girl.

"Well, this is my room," she says, still grinning. "You can stay in here for the night."

Creepy.

"Um..okay, thanks." I tried being nice. It doesn't happen often so don't get used to it.

"Do you want to borrow some clothes?" she asks, acting all innocent. Seeing as the last time I got a change of clothes was from the work boys locker room, I think I will stick with what I have. Maybe she has something better, but, judging by her clothes, I'd say I'd rather die than wear a dress. Or even a nightie. Just anything but a dress.

"No, I'm fine, but thanks anyway." Nudge grimaces at me and I smirk internally, getting myself out of some tight holes and probably some actual tights.

Nudge opens the door and I am greeted by light from the window on the far right side and plenty of color. The _wrong_ color!

_**PINK!**_

There is pink and purple everywhere along with baby blues and various other colors splashed in the shapes of dresses, hats and shoes, lined against the dark wood walls, once boring, now pinned with ribbons, plaited together and knotted in various fashions. There is also a shelf filled with tiny books of plays and romance novels.

_How do I know they're romance?_

THEIR NAMES! Things like: Love in the moonlight, Waltzing with you, In your embrace, and Songbirds and I.

Try not to puke, it's rude and frankly disgusting to barf over someone's possessions, no matter how pink it all is.

So, after _not_ vomiting everywhere, I thank Nudge again and ask where the bathroom is. She directs me and I almost run there, trying not to scream on the way there. I need some air again, anything to get away from all that _pink!_

I rush inside the bathroom, not taking any notice of the things around me and go to the window, opening it. Jammed! I shake the handle and shove my shoulder hard against it. _NO USE_! I scramble out of the door, not caring about the dull pain creeping through my shoulder blades where it was slamming against the glass. It will go away eventually, and there are greater needs at work here.

I try to remember the route back to the first door where I entered this claustrophobic corridor and - oh sweet Heracles, I'm going to be sick. I guess I might be a little sea sick, so it isn't Nudge's fault. Okay, so coming on a ship might have been a _really_ bad idea seeing as I'm sea sick, claustrophobic, sharing a bunk with a girl and am a stowaway, not part of the crew. _Just great._

_Cheer up, Maxy!_

**_SHU__T__ UP!_**

I stumble into a door and, assuming it's the one we went through first, burst through it, moving hands around blindly, seeking cool air. Instead, there is a musky smell, along with the smell of sweat and strong spices, probably trying to cover up the weird smells of people. Instead, there is a bunk with a tall boy sitting on his bed, head in his hands, muttering and breathing heavily. The pale blue shirt is unbuttoned to reveal a heaving, and completely toned, chest. Not that I was looking at his chest or anything. 'Cause would _never_ do that.

"Sorry, wrong room," I mutter, leaving the stranger to his wallowing, his head snapping up to meet my gaze, dark eyes staring. I slam the door shut and run back down the corridor, opening random doors at various times and, just to be safe, call inside before looking, making sure there are no more wallowing boys to deal with. Finally, I reach it. The final door and the last chance of escape.

The blessing of cold air rushes toward me in a gust of breeze, the taste salty with the mist from the sea, bitter on my tongue as I lap and gulp at the air, breathing deeply to steady my pounding head. Taking no notice of others, I rush to the side of the ship, the port side, and look across the water, half expecting there to be the busy land I once lived and played on. The place of sturdy protection and love. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. All around me is nothing but the great expanse of dark blue and green murky water swirling in bubbling waves along the side of the ship and at the hull. Alone. So alone.

A feeling of loss slowly settles over me when the realization hits home. Or far away from home, whichever way you look at it. Even though I hated it back at the school and my work, I had friends and some sort of dysfunctional family, even a real family. It didn't matter how close we were. People who laughed with me and not at me. I feel so alone, out with no one but a group of strangers who may just wring out my guts with their evil pirate hands, taking a ship to who-knows-where to do who-knows-what. I could be anywhere now. It's not like anyone back home would miss me, though. Lost and alone.

I bury my head in my hands, leaning against the side of the ship, elbows holding me up and steadying my head. Dizziness hangs over me as the crew go to work around on the ship, getting to their destination as quick as possible.

Suddenly, the boat takes a jolt to the right and I drop my elbows, head bobbing down then snapping up again to barf over the edge of the boat, crashing into the waves below, holding onto the dirty blonde hair that slinks down down my neck.

"Get sick much?" comes a familiar, friendly voice from behind me. I wipe my mouth on the corner of the sleeve on the shirt and turn around.

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**So?...How was it?**

**PLEASE REVIEW! Otherwise, I won't update!**

**KIDDING! Or not...I'm not entirely sure...**


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